Matsutake season to begin in Southern Oregon

KLAMATH FALLS -- The matsutake mushroom harvest is about to begin in northern Klamath County with low prices predicted until there's more wet and colder weather.

The harvest of the mushroom favored in Japan has become a seasonal event in recent decades, especially in the Crescent and Odell lakes areas off Highway 58.

Prices have reached $100 to $200 a pound for the delicacies. But in recent years they have dipped dramatically, falling last year to between 50 cents and $2 a pound for much of the 60-day picking season.